


If You Can't Stop Them, Beat Them

by Luthen



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014)
Genre: Baymax as a Battlebot, Bot Fighting, Gen, tried to make that a twist but kinda too obvious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 08:19:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3112700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luthen/pseuds/Luthen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>3am was a dangerous time for ideas. They tended to be extremely good or extremely bad. As Tadashi rolled over to sleep and ruminate, he hoped this one would turn out to be the former.</p>
<p>(Or rather than take Hiro to SFIT, Tadashi decides to fight fire with fire, so to speak.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	If You Can't Stop Them, Beat Them

“Unbelievable,” Tadashi groaned.

Hiro was looking up underground bot fights. Brazenly. In front of him. Just after receiving Tadashi’s 231st lecture on his reckless behaviour.

“Welp, I’m off,” announced Hiro, unrepentant, as he picked up Megabot and headed for the stairs.

“Just a second,” Tadashi countered, using his closer proximity to the stairs and longer legs to head Hiro off. He pulled his and Hiro’s helmets off the wall rack. “Since I can’t seem to stop you, I guess I’ll have to take you.”

Tadashi may despair over Hiro’s life choices but he had supported Hiro through every step. He’d acquired the magnetic bearing servos and futuristic alloys from the “Nerd Lab” _knowing_ what Hiro was building. In hindsight, that was probably tacit support, but why couldn’t Hiro understand the difference between supporting his younger brother’s creative endeavours and condoning illegal, petty activity?

Perhaps escorting him to the fights was continuing to send mixed messages, but Tadashi didn’t care. If he had to act a hypocrite to protect Hiro, he would.

Hiro was uncharacteristically quiet the whole ride. As if he thought speaking would bring Tadashi to his senses – and make him turn the moped around.

Forty-five minutes later, Tadashi has to admit one thing: Hiro was good. As a pilot _and_ a swindler. If Tadashi hadn’t been policing the terror for over a decade he would’ve been fooled too.

To be honest, the fights were… sad. Hiro’s bot so utterly outclassed his opponents. Megabot was cutting-edge technology and based on an inhuman paradigm. It was such an outside context problem that Hiro’s opponents didn’t have time to comprehend what they were facing before it destroyed them.

Again, it was just sad. Tadashi said as much after they snuck away (successfully this time).

“…I mean it’s like shooting fish in a barrel. No, like using plastic explosives to shut up one of those fake singing bass.”

Giggling. That was Hiro’s response.

“I don’t understand why, Hiro? Where’s the fun in repeatedly curb-stomping bots that have no chance?”

“The moment they realise that of course!” laughed Hiro from behind him.

Tadashi just sighed and drove them home.

Staring at his brother’s duvet-cocooned form, Tadashi mulled over the problem of Hiro’s bot fighting. There had to be a solution. Tadashi closed his eyes, and mentally stepped back. Treat it like a hurdle in Baymax’s development.

Problem: Hiro’s involvement in underground bot fighting.

Failed solutions: lecturing, enticing him with tales of SFIT, and rescuing him from troubles of his own making.

“Try looking at things from different angle,” he murmured to himself.

Hiro didn’t respect Tadashi. Hiro was very good at his bot fighting con. Hiro was disdainful of going to further education. Hiro was out of his league – or more accurately playing below his league.

Potential solution: Location based shock collar.

No, too illegal, immoral, plus Hiro would disable them immediately.

Potential solution: Stick around as Hiro’s bodyguard.

Hardly stopping Hiro, more blatant enabling. How long before he started evading Tadashi?

Potential solution: If you can’t stop him, beat him.

3am was a dangerous time for ideas. They tended to be extremely good or extremely bad. As Tadashi rolled over to sleep and ruminate, he hoped this one would turn out to be the former.

* * *

Tadashi treated his new plan like any other task.

First, he researched. Going to bot fights – making sure they weren’t the ones Hiro was headed to. Watching the competition – common strategies, bot types, the rituals in this underground gladiator ring. He even tailed Hiro a couple of times. To ensure his little brother’s safety, mute any suspicion about his brotherly protectiveness waning, and to analyse his fighting technique.

Second, he brainstormed. What kind of bot should he make? Something from a Saturday morning cartoon like the rest? He could make one _much_ better than those Hiro had faced. Adamantium panelling, protected joins, possibly even Wasabi’s plasma cutters. No. While he might be able to make a bot withstand Megabot like that, it wouldn’t really prove anything. Tadashi had to show that Hiro didn’t belong hiding his talent in the dark.

He could one-up Hiro. Tadashi’s supervisor was the man who invented the electromagnetic articulators that Megabot relied on. No. Tadashi had to work solo, since Hiro was. Plus he doubted he could control disparate modules like Hiro.

No, Tadashi needed to play to his strengths. He needed to be outside _Hiro’s_ context. His eyes landed on the bright red box in the testing area of his lab. Tadashi grinned, he knew what kind of fighter bot he’d make.

Third, he prototyped. Miniaturising always posed difficulties, but Tadashi persevered through making a one-eighth version of Baymax, his life’s work. The exercise turned out to have unforseen benefits. For instance, Tadashi realised his battle bot needed to be fast – leading to the realisation that as a first-aid responder Baymax should be quick on his feet too.

Fourth, he tested. Initially Tadashi merely tested against static targets, getting a handle on controlling his newest creation. It was a challenge: Tadashi didn’t really consider a machine reliant on human control to _be_ a robot. So he switched out the control for an AI. It was an illegal bot fight anyway, who cared? After testing against standard battle bots in laboratory conditions he moved on to the next step.

Fifth, he field tested. In this situation, Tadashi would admit it wasn’t a very scientific field test. Really, it was more diving straight in. He’d tried a couple of the on-campus tournaments, but they were far from analogous to what he needed to do. Though the nerd critiques and tips had been helpful.

As he “field tested” in the underworld of San Fransokyo bot battling, Tadashi gained a reputation. A mostly good one – he was an honourable fighter, promising, obviously not in it for the money. But definitely a wild card. He won more than he lost, but he wasn’t a true challenge to the kings of the circuit.

(Hiro wasn’t the only Hamada who could take a dive.)

* * *

If Hiro had been suspicious about Tadashi’s relenting on the bot fighting front, he’d kept quiet about it. It certainly seemed like the younger brother had no inkling how far down the hypocritical rabbit hole the older had gone. Which suited Tadashi just fine. It was a curse of genius to rarely be surprised, and Tadashi very rarely surprised Hiro anymore.

The next problem Tadashi encountered was: he needed to face Hiro in the ring. The issue (naturally) was Hiro. His younger brother much preferred “try your skills against the champion (and lose)” outfits. While Tadashi thought he might be able to beat one of the kings – and survive the roughing up even – Hiro always went after the long-running nasty champs to bring them down. Tadashi really doubted Hiro would step up if he saw Tadashi waiting. And Hiro would _never_ take the champion seat and make himself a target.

As a side effort, Tadashi had been keeping tabs on what Hiro had been keeping tabs on in the underground circuit. So he knew that Hiro was curious about a kings’ tournament coming up. Perhaps his little brother was getting tired of the same old thing?

Getting into the tournament was easy. Just took more than a bit of cash. Confirming Hiro’s participation was little extra. (If he hadn’t joined, Tadashi would’ve used it as practise and dropped out after the second round). Ensuring he would fight Hiro in the semi-final took a lot more though. Tadashi didn’t doubt Hiro’s ability to get to the grand final. Just whether he would _try_.

The tournament was held in an old warehouse. The cavernous space divided into sixteen rooms. The walls were only chest high, but enough that the combatants couldn’t see beyond their current opponent sitting on the ground. The crowd both surround each ring, and travelled on the cat-walks above.

As he progressed, Tadashi found they removed walls. Joining the new pairings and allowing bigger crowds around the fights. It was hard to hear over the din of the crowd, but Tadashi was certain he heard “Megabot: _destroy_ ” once or twice. And speculation from the crowd about the two “weirdo-bots”.

Tadashi made it through his fights, without resorting to his bot’s secret weapons. Simply pulling his opponents apart, or setting them against themselves. His bot was obviously unusual, but it fought simply enough that no one cried foul.

After two victories (one a near miss), Tadashi found himself staring at the dividing wall. It seemed the organisers had decided on a little showmanship for the finals, beginning with the semis. The competitors (he and Hiro, of course) were placed, seated, bots at the ready, waiting for the walls to be pulled back.

The announcer-geisha walked along the divider, parasol spinning as she built the audience’s excitement.

“This is it folks! The finals. Two of the top four of our top sixteen! The best bot fighters in San Fransokyo! On my right: Hamada-chan, with his Megabot! Don’t let his baby-face fool you – he wouldn’t be sitting there if he hadn’t taken down the likes of Yandroth, and the Everwraith!”

The faux-geisha spun, a remarkable feat in geta on a temporary wooden wall.

“And on my right! Takachiho-san, with Baymini! Got to admire a man confident enough in his masculinity to compete with such an adorable little wrestler.” By that point, she was cooing at Tadashi’s bot, before swirling upright again. “Seems deceptive appearances are the flavour of the day though. Since that little sweetie-pie did a real number on Unknown-X, and Youkai!

“So ladies and gentlemen. Cute controller with dangerous robot, versus, dangerous controller with cute robot. Who will it be? Last chance to place your money.”

A beat.

“Then let’s get to it! Remember: sixteen bots entered, four remain, and only _one_ leaves.”

The announcer hopped down, pretending her parasol slowed her descent. Before holding open and low – ready to block their view of each other’s bots when the walls were removed.

“Competitors ready? Pull back the screen!”

* * *

Keeping his face blank was perhaps the hardest thing Tadashi had ever done. Especially since it seemed he’d broken Hiro. His little brother was slack-jawed, stuttering “Ta-”, “Nii-” and “Wha-?”

“Long time no see, Hamada- _chan_ ,” stated Tadashi calmly.

Having the crowd suspicious of their relationship could be dangerous. And it was information the bookmakers (and slum-lords) might have wanted to know. Hiro regained his composure and settled on irritated superiority.

“Takachiho,” replied Hiro, pausing for the withheld honorific, “I thought after the last time we met at the ring, you would’ve given up on it all.” _On me._

“Ah, no, you know I never give up” _on you._ “Just decided to try a different angle,” Tadashi laughed sheepishly, “I was challenging you all wrong.”

“That’s the politest trash-talk I have ever seen,” pointed out the announcer faux-philosophically, “Maybe it’s because you’re both Japanese? I mean the layered conversation is a nice change of pace.” Her grin turned vicious, “But I think these good folk want to see some robot _carnage._ What do you say?”

The crowd roared, baying for mechanical pain and suffering.

“The people have spoken! Controllers at the ready! May the best bot win, and feast on the circuitry of the loser!

“Three, two, one, fight!”

The paper parasol lifted, revealing the battle-bots. Both were beyond unusual for the circuit. Megabot was a composite, and any human qualities it possessed where illusions. Tadashi did notice scratches on its black finish, and a series of teeth marks around one “ear”. Megabot was still smiling, but Hiro seemed to respect his older brother enough that the bot was in a ready stance. Not falling over.

“Hello, I am Baymini. Your battle opponent.”

“It’s a marshmallow.”

It wasn’t an ungrounded opinion. Baymini was a little white-cream balloon ball. Tadashi had dressed him up a little, as a sumo-wrestler naturally, with a bright red mawashi around his waist.

“The Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man almost destroyed the world remember. Baymini, hajime!”

Baymini rushed forward, actually running rather than shuffling like his “bigger brother”. The little balloon had been waiting for Tadashi’s go-ahead. Tadashi sat back and played at ordering his bot around.

As expected, on contact with Megabot, the segmented robot “fell apart”. It chained and leaped like a snake attempting to encircle Baymini’s left arm. Tadashi hadn’t made it easy, there wasn’t metal for them to magnetise, plus the vinyl was treated with a hyper-non-stick coating. When Hiro constricted Megabot in place to take off an arm, Baymini depressurised the arm and slipped out of the grip.

Baymini returned the favour, grabbing on to one of the sections by the ears, using the magnet-servos installed in _his_ hands. He ripped it apart and threw the ears out of the ring.

Unfortunately he’d taken his attention off the other two segments. Hiro encircled Baymini’s legs, perhaps intending to render the sumo-bot immobile.

“Jump,” ordered Tadashi. He might not be able to control a bot to ring standard, but he would play overwatch to his AI’s efforts.

Baymini sprung up a yard in the air, out of Megabot’s reach even if it were whole. But the little vinyl balloon wasn’t a hot air balloon, and would be coming down. A fact Hiro made use of, setting Megabot in wait.

“Sumo can’t jump,” Hiro offhandedly snarked.

Again Hiro went for the arm, and again Baymini deflated to slip out of the grip. Hiro was a faster learner, so Megabot constricted faster – succeeding in tearing the vinyl.

“Are we fighting for real now?” Tadashi asked.

“Yeah, you’re going to be losing for real!”

“Alright then,” agreed Tadashi, and let his polite façade break into a copy of Hiro’s turning-point smirk, “Baymini: _destroy._ ”

“Hey, that’s my line! You can’t steal it!”

Baymini’s eyes turned red and his palms (even the injured arm’s) lit up blue. He casually placed one on each sphere of Megabot.

“Too late.”

There was a small pop-fizz and Megabot fell apart. The pieces, ears separated even, just lay there inert. Ignoring Hiro’s increasingly animated button mashing. Baymini’s eyes and palms dulled, and the little bot shuffled back. Once out of Megabot’s wreckage Baymini bowed to his fallen opponent.

“Winner, by _destruction_ , Takachiho!”

* * *

Tadashi wasn’t surprised to find Hiro waiting for him at home. As runner-up (with Baymini so trashed he hadn’t even thrown the final, really) Tadashi had been _invited_ to drinks and it had taken a while to get away. Hiro was working on the floor, dissecting the remains of Megabot.

Tadashi didn’t attempt to start any conversation. He’d made his move earlier in the ring. And experience showed that lectures didn’t work on Hiro – plus now that Tadashi had dropped to Hiro’s level, he didn’t have a leg to stand on. Instead, he sat at his desk, propped Baymini’s carry-case in its charge station, and opened up the latest documentation he had to do for his real robot.

“Can, can I have a look?” Hiro asked, somewhat reverted to the first moment they saw each other earlier. “At your bot, at Baymini?”

“Sure, go ahead, hajime” said Tadashi, half to his younger brother, half to his battle-bot.

Baymini’s little red box opened and the battered robot hopped out. The mini-sumo jumped off Tadashi’s desk and bounced over to Hiro.

“Hello, I am Baymini. Your battle opponent.”

“Tadashi, you made a _battle AI_?”

Tadashi spun in his chair and shrugged.

“Hiro, I’m smart, but not smart enough to learn how to bot-fight like you in a couple of months.”

Quiet settled again as Hiro examined an obliging Baymini. The conversation lightened as Tadashi answered Hiro’s questions about Baymini’s construction. Before Hiro steered it back into heavier topics.

“So why? Why did you join the dark side?”

“I wouldn’t say I _joined_. More went undercover. Tonight was the end of it,” Tadashi paused. There were a dozen things he wanted to say and he wasn’t sure where to begin. “I guess, I wanted to see why you did it. And I still don’t understand really.

“I wanted to show you something of what you did if you applied yourself. Yeah, I know, I’m a hypocrite. I wanted to show you how you were denying yourself by avoiding the cutting-edge. I wanted to… I don’t know.”

At this point, Tadashi was talking less to Hiro and more to the ceiling.

“I’m not going to bot-fight again. I’ll have to try a new angle.”

Tadashi dropped his gaze from the roof to look Hiro in the eye.

“I’m not giving up on you. Not until you’re doing _yourself_ justice. I don’t care if it’s not going to college like me, but you can be _so much_ better than a delinquent.”

Silence returned, this time thoughtful on both their parts. Tadashi turn back to his work, leaving Hiro to fiddle with Baymini.

“I’ll go,” came the soft voice of his younger brother, “I’ll visit your nerd school. Try seeing what you see in it. I make no promises.”

“Whenever you like,” Tadashi answered equally quietly.

“Tomorrow.”

“Deal.”

“Good night, Dashi”

“Night, otouto.”


End file.
